Nedbank Affinity Cup Final Report

Blaauw banks another win with Nedbank Affinity Cup triumph

SUN CITY (7 November 2013) – Everybody else seemed to already know it. But if Jacques Blaauw wasn't yet convinced, his victory in the Nedbank Affinity Cup at the Lost City Golf Course on Thursday certainly convinced him that "I can play a little bit".

Blaauw made an incredible up-and-down from the greenside bunker on 18 for birdie to win on 15 under par with a final round of 68.

It was exactly the birdie he needed to break free of a then three-way tie for the lead and with thoughts of a playoff coming to mind.

"Wow. This gives me such self confidence to know that I can actually play a little bit," he said after claiming what is his third win on the Sunshine Tour this year.

There were flashes of brilliance and flashes of lightning in the final round.

Ross Wellington surged through the field with a 65 to set the clubhouse target at 13 under par.

England's Steve Surry then shifted that mark to 14 under par with a closing 68 after starting the final round with three birdies in his first four holes. Then Ulrich van den Berg birdied two of the final three holes for a 67 to also finish on 14 under.

And that's when the weather decided to slow down a frantic finish. Lightning and then a dust storm forced a one-hour suspension of play, with Blaauw at that stage on 14 under and having just hit his second into the left greenside bunker on 18.
When play resumed, he played what he described as the bunker shot of his life and holed a simple putt for his third birdie in the final five holes.

"I was actually quite nervous at the start of the round. I didn't feel like I was stroking the putter too well and I pulled a couple of putts. But on the back nine I told myself I've done this before so just hang in there. On 18, I knew I was still in the playoff if I didn't win it then. But I like chasing like that because it puts me into another gear. I knew I had to make a few birdies coming in and it was nice to do it."

Blaauw's victory was also a triumph for the South African Golf Development Board, which was presented with a cheque matching the winner's prize of R110 950 on behalf of Nedbank.